A Love Like War
by ThatHippieChick
Summary: Clary is an artsy junior (17) in all advanced classes & Jace is a fairly attractive freshman (15) who plays football. Clary is assigned to tutor Jace, who she discovers is her new best friend's brother & also neighbor. They get off to a rough start that blossoms into a mutual hatred & countless pranks, but does fate have something a little more than friendship in mind for the duo?
1. Sick Little Games

**Hey everyone! This is my new story I am starting. It's an idea I've been playing around with for a while now. I don't know how often I will be able to update, since my computer kind of exploded and I'm on my dad's. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do. Sorry, this is kind of a filler-information chapter. **

I slammed by palm against the horn impatiently as Mia took her sweet time as usual priming herself for school. Finally she spilled out of her front door with perfectly curled locks bouncing around her shoulders. I watched with a grin on my face as she attempted to run down the drive with a pop tart in her mouth and an overfilled book bag secured with one shoulder.

"Remind me again why I don't just make you ride the bus to school?" I questioned her as she flung her stuff into the backseat of my Saturn View and slammed the door behind her.

"Because you love me." She told me simply and Simon laughed from the passenger seat.

"Well, that explains her motives, but what about mine?" He smiled smugly at my other best friends and I couldn't restrain a giggle as I caught her glare in the rear view mirror.

"Ha ha. You're _so_ funny." Mia deadpanned in a monotone voice and I blared the music to drown out their usual bickering.

"Asking Alexandria again? We listened to them yesterday!" Simon whined, his dislike for my music choice clearly detectable.

"Just feel lucky it's not Bring Me the Horizon or one of her other equally as horrific screamo bands." Mia agreed with Simon for once and I rolled my eyes at their ignorance.

"First off, they're metalcore, not _screamo_ and if you don't like my taste in music, then feel free to walk yourselves to school every day rather than hitching a ride like bums." I lectured them for the umpteenth time and nodded approvingly at the silence that followed.

When we arrived at school I pulled into my designated parking space and locked the vehicle behind us. We waved goodbye as everyone dispersed into opposite ends of the hallway and I walked mechanically to my locker.

"Hey, queer! You dropped your books." Chills ran down my back as Sebastian's moronic laughter filled my ears and I inwardly face palmed myself. I turned around in time to see Jared, a quiet and openly gay sophomore in my art class, crouching to scoop up his pile of books. Before I could so much as open my mouth to defend the misfit, a flash of blonde hair caught my attention and someone had already gathered his belongings and stood with squared shoulders in front of the idiotic linebacker.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" He asked and I inched closer, surprised at the turn of events. Normally everyone turned the other cheek and acted like they weren't aware of what was really happening, but this boy seemed different.

"Nah, only yours." Sebastian spat and his mindless army of followers launched into an unnecessary chorus of equally as obnoxious laughter.

"That comeback was so original, man. There's no way I can come up with a better one." Sarcasm dripped off of the words and I stifled a laugh, not wanting to ruin Sebastian's public humiliation.

"Fuck you, Wayland." His face turned dark red, a mixture of humiliation and anger towards the blonde boy.

"You only wish you could fuck me." Wayland replied with a wink and a lopsided grin.

The warning bell rang, declaring we had one minute to get to our classes and everyone began moving around us. Sebastian stormed off without another word and his posse followed close behind. I didn't bother to stay and see if anything else happened. Instead I strolled down the rest of the hall to Coach Mac's homeroom and sat my belongings at my desk, before turning to face Isabelle.

"Hey, Izzie." I greeted my final best friend who had moved here two weeks ago when school first began. She lived directly next door to me along with her parents and three brothers, only one of which I have met. Her raven hair was stick straight and fell to her waist, though she usually wore it in loose curls. She had pitch black eyes to match and creamy pale skin that contrasted beautifully.

At first I had thought she was going to be another plastic, what with her model like beauty and love of fashion, but she wasn't nearly as airheaded as I had imagined. We shared several classes together, including art, my favorite period.

"Hey, so are you coming over after school?" Her face lit up like a child in a candy store and I couldn't deny her request, despite previously making plans with Simon. Even though she had been moved in for a little over three weeks, her parents were constantly gone, so the house hadn't been fully furnished and stocked until yesterday afternoon according to her text.

"Of course. What are you planning for our extravagant date?" I asked her theatrically and she stuck her tongue out at me.

"Well, I was thinking we could go shopping for awhile, have sappy girl bonding time in my room, introduce you to the family, and then maybe a movie or two?" Iz tried to sound casual, but I knew she was worrying if I would like her ideas.

"Sounds fun, I'll head over after I get my chores done." I confirmed our plans and she instantly cheered up again.

We continued to make light hearted small talk until the bell rang; signaling the passing period for first hour had began. I cut through the crowded halls, trying to make it to Mr. Dierksmeyer's history class clear across the school grounds.

I made it through the door right before the bell rang, Dierksmeyer giving me a knowing look, seeing as we were supposed to be in our seats before the bell, but not reprimanding me. I wouldn't say I was a teacher's pet, I was simply a straight a student who had mostly advanced classes, and so I tended to have leeway as far as the rules went.

I sat towards the back of the room and stared out the window, having already done all of this week's homework assignments and read most of the textbook. I wouldn't categorize me as an overachieving nerd, just someone who was looking for a multitude of scholarships and an acceptance letter to top ranking colleges.

"Miss Fray, will you come here please?" My head snapped to the front of the room where the teacher sat at his desk while everyone spent the last five minutes getting started on the their work.

I walked cautiously to his desk, a few students turning their heads out of curiosity, before looking down at their desks with varying boredom. "Yes?"

"Well, as you know, you're currently rated top in your class, but also in all of my history classes. I was wondering if you would be interested in tutoring one of my ineligible football players in a few subjects, in exchange for some classroom credits."

"It's only the second week of school. How is he already ineligible?" The question passed my lips before I could turn on my filter on, but Dierks simply laughed deeply, resembling Santa almost.

"You'd be surprised."

"I supposed I could handle a little more on my plate." I told him, mentally checking my calendar for the month.

"Good. You'll begin this afternoon and every following Tuesday and Thursday." I nodded my head and went back to my seat, doodling designs onto the front of my notebook.

"Hello, students. My name is Mrs. Ryan and I am your substitute teacher for the day. Please keep the talking to a low roar and work on any assignments you have." She looked young, maybe early twenties, with hazel eyes and a long bob.

I immediately turned back to my desk and shoved my ear buds in as I hit shuffle on my iPod. I continued my previous sketching, seeing as I had nothing to do for the next hour.

Halfway through class, I felt something hit the back of my neck and I turned around to find the source. A paper football triangle lay on the empty desk behind me and I picked it up, inspecting its poor craftsmanship. Across the room sat four teenage boys, presumably the ones who had made it, and I noticed one of them making a yard post with his hands.

"Sorry, 'bout that." One spoke up and I recognized him as the boy from earlier. Now that I had a closer look at him I realized he was extremely attractive. His features reminded me of a Greek god, very sharp and angular, with a naturally golden tan. His hair was the color of honey and his eyes were only a few shades lighter.

I blinked, refusing to act like a star struck teenager, and tossed the toy. It sailed through the air lopsidedly and his muscular arm shot out to catch it.

"Thanks." His smile grew to a smirk and he winked at me, turning on his charm. I simply turned around and filled in the petals of a flower.

I added All Time Low lyrics from their new song A Love like War featuring Vic Fuentes across the corners to frame the designs neatly. Halfway through the words, I felt something lightly stab the material on my shoulder blade and I turned around yet again.

Blondie and his sidekicks all faced me, identical looks of mischief on their faces. "It was an accident, I swear."

"I'm sure it was." I narrowed my eyes at him, not fazed by his pretty boy antics.

I chucked it back at them forcefully and swiveled around in my seat without checking to see where it landed. I decidedly had had enough of his little games and crossed his actions from this morning out as pure coincidence instead of a decent caring human being.

The football smacked against my ear and skid to a stop directly next to my moving pen and I growled in frustration. Without blinking an eye, I positioned it between my thumb and pointer finger of my left hand. I flicked the folded edge with my other hand and watched it sail directly into the garbage can across the room.

I could hear their surprised reactions and various sound effects as they clapped their hands in applause and I rolled my eyes, refusing to turn around.

The bell rang, and I shot out of my desk, quickly throwing my belongings on top of each other. I charged for the door and felt something slipping out of my grasp, but I couldn't catch it in time.

Blondie appeared beside me, my notebook in hand, and his signature smirk etched into his dimpled face. "Here, I think you dropped this."

"Thank you." I tried to worm my way past him, but he was too broad to surpass in the moving crowd.

"Sorry about all that, we were just having fun." I actually looked him in the eye, searching for an inch of truth, but his face bore no hints.

"Oh, yeah, I was having a _blast_." I contributed begrudgingly, forced to wait until the line died down.

"Hey, Jacey!" The boy turned to the direction of what I assumed was his name being called by a pretty blonde girl and I silently thanked God for the excuse to escape as the door finally cleared out. I darted in front of him, my back brushing against his chest.

It was definitely going to be a long day, and it wasn't even lunch time yet.

**So, how was it? Review, please? I would have added more, but 2,000 words is a good number I feel like. Plus, I don't have the story completely plotted out. I'm kind of just winging it. Tell me what you think, what I need to fix, and what you think will happen next. Love you all!**

**-ThatHippieChick**


	2. Lost in Stereo

**Hey! So, here's chapter two. I don't really have a set schedule for updates since my school work is a bit unpredictable and I also have to juggle babysitting, work, dance, drama club, leading GSA (Gay Straight Alliance), and soon to be possibly joining Scholastic Bowl and being the head wrestling statistician. So as you can see I am really really really busy this school year, but I'll try to write a little bit each day and update at least once a week. :) Without further ado, here's chapter 2! :D**

**Clary's POV**

I strolled into art and habitually gathered my supplies and grabbed a blank canvas from the backroom before sitting down to begin on a new painting. I was eleven projects ahead of our class, so Mrs. Learnard had simply told me to do my own thing for awhile until everyone else had caught up.

"Hey." Izzie popped up beside me, spinning her chair around with amusement before using her heels to stop her movement and grinning at me. "How's your day been?"

"Aside from this total asshat in my study hall? Not too bad. Dierksmeyer says if I tutor one of his football players, than I can earn credits. So, over all, pretty good." I positioned all of my paintbrushes in descending order according to their size and shape as I spoke.

"Ooh, I wouldn't mind assisting, if you know what I mean." Isabelle winked playfully at me and started working on a water color pencil project involving faceless beauties in extravagant clothing and dramatic positioning.

"Izzie, give yourself some credit. At least go for the intelligent football players." I scolded her lightly as I started arranging paint blobs on my pallet neatly.

"As long as they're hot, I could care less what they're grades are. Smarts are just an added bonus." She informed me and I chuckled at her.

Unwinding my ear buds from my pocket, I drowned out the noise of our classes' chatter and lost myself in the music. I chose one song at random and placed it on repeat as I usually did to keep a constant mood for my artwork.

_You would not believe your eyes_

_ If ten million fireflies_

_Lit up the world as I fell asleep_

'_Cause they'd fill the open air_

_And leave teardrops everywhere_

_You'd thing me rude_

_But I would just stand and stare_

I let my hand flow freely, allowing the lyrics to paint an identical image to what was displayed in my mind. As the song replayed over and over, I felt myself drifting to that point only artists could reach when they allow themselves to become a part of their work and poured all of their being into the piece.

_I'd like to make myself believe_

_That planet Earth turns slowly_

_It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_

_Because my dreams are bursting at the seams_

I felt Izzie lightly shake my shoulder and I ripped out my headphones, turning to face her. Her desk was neatly cleared off and everyone else was rushing out the door. "Better hurry up."

I nodded a silent thanks and paused the music as I gathered the supplies, cleaning off used brushes and smeared palettes. After I had wiped down the table I looked at my canvas for the first time since I had started and blinked in surprise.

The background was a grim mixture of dark blues and purples with a hint of black. Small yellow and white orbs were sprinkled across it, omitting their own glowing light and I realized they were dozens of fireflies swarming around the main view point of the picture. It was the only part I still had to add details to, but the idea of it was clear.

A pale girl seemed to almost float in the night sky as she danced carelessly around in a shimmering green dress with a flowing mane of flames, her hand pulling at another figure. The second figure remained planted on the ground. His silhouette hinted at a lean figure who, even secured on the ground, was much taller than his partner. The only hint at his identity was a splash of golden curls framing a faceless naturally bronzed body.

I immediately recognized him as Jace and my eyes grew huge. Before I could scrutinize it any further, I snatched both the canvas and my stand and replaced them in the storage room once again. Mrs. Learnard jotted down a pass for me and I politely thanked her before leisurely walking to my locker at the opposite end of the school.

"Pretty, please?" I could hear a nasally voice plead sweetly and resisted the urge to simultaneously puke and tear out my eardrums. I tilted my head slightly as I switched out all of my belongings for a calculator, pencil bag, and my thick Pre-Calculus textbook. I could barely make out the skimpy cheerleading uniform of Kaelie Pritchett as she ran her hand flirtatiously up a guy's thigh and slipped it into his pocket with a fake innocence painted on her face.

"You're gonna make us late to class." He protested, a low groan rising in his throat as her hand continued to venture inside the zipper of his pants. I quickly recognized his voice as the last person I possibly wanted to be caught in a nearly deserted hallway with right now.

I nearly dropped my blue pencil bag as my mind processed what she was doing, in a rather public place nonetheless. I caught it before it dropped to the ground, but the zipper made a metallic pang against my open locker and I could sense both of their heads jerking up to see what the commotion was. Out of my peripheral, I could see Kaelie wrap her other arm around Jace's neck and attach herself to him as if they were Siamese twins.

"You never let me finish." She pouted and I could just imagine her overly dramatic protruding bottom lip as she batted thickly coated eyelashes at him in hopes of persuading his lack of interest.

"Not right now, Kaelie." He insisted again with more force and he pushed her away as he fixed his pants and began striding down the hall. I realized a little too late that he was going to pass me and I promptly shut my locker, holding my books tight against my chest.

I swiveled around in time to catch him look me up and down slowly before winking at me with that damn crooked grin. I refused to fangirl over his magnificence and instead rolled my eyes as we walked together briefly before turning opposite directions. I didn't bother to see how Kaelie had reacted to her most likely never before heard of rejection, instead settling for hearing her tantrum as she smacked a locker and stamped her foot loudly.

I rolled into class several minutes late and handed Miss Brooks the small slip of paper, of which she barely glanced at before nodding, and slipped into my desk in the far back corner. I had already finished all of the assignments for this week, so I slouched down in my seat and prepared myself mentally to fight boredom for the next hour. Unwanted thoughts invaded my mind and I tried to ignore them by reading motivational posters on the walls or tapping a beat with my pencil on the desktop as the teacher droned on, but eventually they stole control of my thought process and I caved.

I couldn't quite comprehend why someone I had only known for a day, half a day if we were being technical, could make my skin crawl so easily. He hadn't even done much to personally piss me off, aside from having terrible aim, and yet he had managed to climb the ladder, knocking off competition as he went, until he sat happily at the top of my shit list.

All I knew is that no matter how gorgeous and flawless he appeared no amount of god like looks could counteract that much of an egotistical jerk. I was sure of one thing, however. I would die happy if I never had to spend another waking moment of my life in his unwanted presence.

**Clary's POV**

"Alright, ladies, gather in!" Our sixty two year old physical education teacher hollered across the gymnasium and everyone slowly trickled out of the locker room and off of the bleachers until we formed a lopsided circle around her. Her real name was Mrs. Anderson, but everyone called her Juice, though no one seemed to know where the odd nickname had been coined. She was even shorter than me and had spiky light brown hair sprinkled with grey as well as laugh lines and a slowly aging face. I had never seen her in anything but sweat suits and gym shorts in the three years I had attended Alicante High.

"I know it's a new school year and everything, so everyone is still getting into the swing of things, but Coach Glosser and I decided an incentive might help. You will be facing off against the boys in a few rounds of dodge ball. The final victor of each round will be allowed one free day to do whatever they like." As Juice continued her rant, an idea played out in my mind. I wasn't usually one for playing dodge ball, but if there was one thing I hated, it was losing.

Everyone split off into their designated side of the room, lining up on the edges of the basketball court. I took my place in the dead center of the white line with a few of my other peers, though most of the girls pressed themselves against the padded walls pathetically. I rolled my eyes at their lack of participation and leaned forward, prepared for the whistle. As I waited for Glosser to lift the small plastic object to his mouth, I sized up my opponents with a hint of satisfaction.

A large majority of the male population in this period was pretty average in the fact that they weren't overly fit, or athletic for that matter. There were however, several boys on football and baseball. Thankfully most of them appeared to be underclassmen, so I didn't have to worry about them as much. I quickly recognized the faces of Sebastian Verlac, Jonathan Morgenstern, Magnus Bane, and Alec Lightwood. Alec caught my eye as I passed over the group and we both smiled and gave a small wave.

It was obvious that Isabelle was his sibling and most people even thought they were twins. Like his sister, his hair was straight and dark as night, his skin a smooth creamy complexion, and he stood at least six feet tall, but whereas Izzie had black eyes, his were a piercing blue. We hadn't talked a whole lot since she had introduced us, but he seemed nice, if not a bit more reserved than his social butterfly of a sister.

Alec started laughing and turned to look at someone and I shifted my eyes; curious as to whom he was talking to and groaned loudly, causing the girls to give me strange looks. Jace was hunched over beside him, laughing as well, but he hadn't seemed to notice me yet. I took a second to memorize what his face looked like with an honest smile rather than his signature smirk and couldn't help but melt a little inside. His eyes squinting slightly and a broad smile lit up his normally serious face, framed by adorably quirky dimples.

The whistle suddenly blew and I through myself forward before I could comprehend what my feet were doing. I reached the center of the room in a matter of seconds and realized I was the first one. I quickly snatched up two dodge balls in my hands, throwing one at a boy who wasn't paying a lick of attention and he glared at me before going to sit down on the bleachers. I used the other one to defend myself as I rolled the balls to our team with the help of a few other girls.

The boys seemed astonished at first, seeing as normally they dominated in this game, but they recovered quickly and charged forward to grab the remainder of the rubber balls. I spent the next few minutes stealthily dodging unexpected throws and tagging out a large portion of the boys team with Mia at my side and two other girls I recognized off the soccer team.

Finally only eight people remained; a terrified preppy girl named Katelynn, Mai, and me against Alec, Sebastian, Jace, and three other boys I didn't know. Sebastian chucked a ball at my head, which I quickly dropped to the ground to avoid as I threw a poorly aimed one in his general direction. I could hear the ball smack against the wall behind me and I scooped it up as it bounced off my leg. I scanned the room and saw I had gotten out a blonde haired boy who seemed to be pouting and I grinned at his shame of being taken out by a girl.

"Want me to create a diversion?" Mia whispered beside me, a ball raised in front of her threateningly and I shook my head slightly.

"Not yet, wait until I tell you to." She nodded and snatched up another ball from the far corner, easily avoiding Alec's attempt to get her out.

A ball whizzed at me, making contact against my shoulder and flying into the air. I jumped up to catch it, counteracting the hit, as another ball was thrown and I spread my legs midflight, narrowly missing being hit again. I immediately hurled the ball I had caught, getting out a short quiet kid as another boy walked off, apparently the one who I had caught his ball. Katelynn screamed as Jace chucked a ball at her, hitting her in the hip and she happily ran off the court to the protection of her friends.

Finally only five of us remained and we all seemed to take a moment to gather more ammunition. I looked at Mia, nodding as I picked up two balls and clenched them in my hands. "Now!"

She ran to the center of the room dropping all three of her balls and the boys seemed to go crazy. Each one of them hurled their weapons at her, leaving Mia only capable of bracing herself as they bounced off of her. At the same time I easily took out Sebastian and Alec, seeing as they were too focused on Mia. Alec laughed, seeming to have realized our plan and winked at me before taking a seat between Magnus and Ryan on the bench. Sebastian on the other hand, looked furious and I winked at him as I moved to grab more ammo.

"No boundaries!" Juice yelled, meaning we had the entire court to move. I backed up slightly, allowing more space to separate myself from Jace and we slowly started circling each other.

"Just you and me, Little Red. I gotta say, I wasn't expecting that out of you." He spoke, trying to intimidate me as our circle slowly decreased in size and I just winked at his overly developed self confidence.

"That's where you went wrong." I muttered as I flung one ball at his head, though he dodged it as he aimed one at my legs and I side stepped it. He threw another and I instinctively dropped my own to catch it. The ball hit me with a great force, causing me to stubble back slightly on impact, but I braced myself and pressed my fingernails into its rubber covering.

"I win." I smiled victoriously at his dumbfounded face and winked before blowing him a kiss and running over to Mia to celebrate.

The second game didn't go nearly as well as the first, since I had sacrificed myself shortly into it so that Mia would have a better chance of winning by jumping in front of a ball aiming for her back. She made it to the top six, but Jonathan had snuck in a hit to her side unexpectedly. She joined me at the top of the bleachers in the middle of the bench, where we had the best view of the game. Sebastian and Jace were the final two and the game dragged on until Sebastian finally tripped over a ball, leaving himself open to Jace's speeding ball.

I was determined to win twice in the final round, simply to have one over on Jace, but fate seemed to have something else in mind. I got both Magnus and a kid named Kyle, who was in my History class, out with the same hit and I grinned triumphantly, only to be struck by another ball on the ass. I spun around confused only to find Jace smirking at me with a knowing glint in his eyes and I knew he had done it on purpose. I flipped him off as I walked off the court, only to watch as a ball slammed into the side of his face.

I laughed so hard I almost had to wipe tears out of my eyes as I took my place above everyone else. To my surprise, Jace took the stairs two at a time with Alec slowly trailing behind until he plopped down next to me. "So, I think it's safe to say now that your win was just an unfortunate case of beginners luck."

"As if," I argued while still having my eyes glued to the game below. "You couldn't land a shot if your life depended on it."

"I happen to think I have excellent aim, thank you very much, and so does that ball." I rolled my eyes at his very pointed suggestion and refused to turn my head in his direction, though I'm sure he was making some sexual innuendo suggestion with his perfectly arched eyebrows or that damn smirk.

Instead I opted to refuse him a chance to rile up my emotions and leaned against the bleacher behind me to see Alec's angelic face. "Remind me again why you choose to surround yourself with such an… unfortunate choice of friends?"

Alec threw his head back to laugh and Jace shot him a death glare, causing Alec to stop midlaughter and form a small grin. "You know, I don't quite know either."

Before Jace could whip up a comeback Glosser's whistle reached a screeching octave that caused my nose to scrunch up and my hands to fly up to cover my poor ringing ears, signaling it was time to return to the locker rooms ad change before the end of class.

Alec shot out of his seat and was halfway down the stairs before I had batted an eye and I followed after him at a much slower pace. By the time I had reached the bottom step I felt smooth skin rub against my shoulder and I turned to find Jace impatiently slipping by me. I rolled my eyes at his apparent lack of patience, but stopped halfway through as I realized he was shirtless. I caught a brief glance of his abdomen, which was as disgustingly perfectly sculpted as I had imagined, and felt a faint blush color my cheeks uncontrollably before I scolded myself for reacting so easily.

I quickened my pace to avoid standing their staring at him like a sappy love struck girl, but caught his knowing smirk before I could look away fast enough. I felt my cheeks heat up even more and the red complexion spread down to my chest and across the back of my neck.

Mia waited for me at the entrance of the locker room, already dressed having probably beat the rush, with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. Being my best friend, she knew not to ask what had just happened, but danced herself around the question instead. "He's cute."

"Yeah, cute and a royal pain in my ass." I disagreed with the slight shake of my head as I stripped out of my uniform and into my regular clothes.

"He's of royal blood, then? I always wanted my own Prince Charming." She snickered, waggling her eyebrows at me as I slipped on my vans.

"That boy is anything but charming, honey, and you already have a 'Prince Charming'. Jordan, name ring a bell?" I stuffed everything into my locker and slammed the door shut.

"Ah, but you don't." She quipped and I groaned loudly, hitting my head on my locker once in frustration and she chuckled again behind me as we exited the room last.

"You love me." She claimed for the second time this morning and I wondered if she knew just how true it must be for me not to strangle her right now.

**Ta da! The next chapter, or at least the first portion, will still be the first day of the story, but I really feel it's important to get a basic layout so everyone knows what's going on before I move on. If you can't tell I like to use a lot of adjective and fancy phrasing to make the sentences prettier. Anyway, most of my chapter should be around 2,500- 3,000 words, but I always make exceptions. I hope you all love this story and I swear it's going to get really interesting soon. I would love you forever if you all would pretty please write me reviews telling me what you like/dislike and what you want/ think will happen. Remember reviews equal happy ThatHippieChick, and if I'm happy then I'm probably going to be in a better mood to write. Plus I hate disappointing people.**


	3. Time Bomb

**Hello my darlings! I meant to put this chapter up before I went on vacation to Tennessee, but that didn't happen, so my bad and I am ever so sorry. On the Brightside, I'll be updating the next chapter tomorrow, since most of it is already written. Enjoy!**

The rest of the day passed by in a quick blur. Lunch. Chemistry. Theatre. Foods. Before I knew it, the last bell had rang and everyone filed into the hallways to escape to their cars and buses. I gathered my belongings quickly out of my locker and strode down to the library, well prepared for my tutoring lesson.

"I'll see you tonight!" I spotted Izzie walking with a boy I didn't recognize and brushed her shoulder with mine.

She waved her fingers playfully at me and gave a slight wink. "Can't wait!"

I settled in at a far table, scanning the room to make sure I had arrived first. Seeing I was the only one aside from the librarian, I curled up in a bean bag chair and started reading a nearby book. After twenty minutes I glanced up at the clock, slightly irritated with whoever I was meeting with, but trying to be optimistic and considering that maybe they were really slow.

Eventually the teachers were let off duty and the librarian said a sweet goodbye, leaving me all alone. After even more time I blew air out of my nose and glared at the floor.

_Was I being stood up?_

I began gathering my things and fishing out my keys when I heard footsteps easing towards the otherwise empty corridor and looked up to see if it was my client or simply a janitor doing his job.

My eye locked on a pair of swirling golden ones and I felt like someone had smashed my head into a locker. Of course Jace would be the idiot failing all his classes. Looks can only get you so far and I'm sure he wasn't one for perfect class attendance either.

_Are you freaking kidding me?_

"Where are you going? Aren't you supposed to me tutoring me?" His perfectly shaped eyebrows rose in confusion and I just stared at him, not amused in the least by his carelessness and complete utter waste of my time.

"You're thirty minutes late." Now they drew together in confusion, causing more aggravation to build in the pit of my stomach.

"So?"

I rolled my eyes at his incompetence and refrained from punching him in the gut. "Tutoring is only forty five minutes long."

"We still have ten minutes." He brushed by me, a flashback of P.E. running through my head, before slipping into the room and planting himself on top of a desk.

"Fifteen, Jace. Clearly math isn't your strong suite either." I crossed my arms over my chest to show my reluctance.

"See, that's even more time we can spend getting to know each other." His crooked grin fixed on me and I had to remind myself he was the enemy.

"That's not even enough time to go over the basics." I countered; silently pleading he'd forget about tutoring and cut the cords linking us together.

"We can just spend today getting to know each other and asking questions." He patted the table beside him welcomingly.

"Like 20 Questions?" I had already began to drag my feet across the room.

"Sure."

"Fine." I agreed, wishing he had just not shown up. I plopped into the seat beside him, refusing to sit on the table.

"I knew my charm would work on you eventually." He gave a smug smile

"Whatever." I sat back and crossed my arms over my chest.

"You go first."

"What's your favorite color?" I asked, blurting the first question that popped into my head.

"Black. What's yours?" His shirt was indeed black and I noted how well it contrasted with his bright face and tanned skin.

"Green."

"Coke or Pepsi?"

By the time our session was over I had learned a ton of basic facts about Jace. We had discussed everything from what our favorite movie is (Get Him to the Greek and The Lion King) to what was our favorite musical genre (Classic Rock and Rock). Music was about the only thing we had in common. I decided there weren't two people more ying and yang in the entire world.

"We better get going. I gotta do my chores." I said lamely, letting the words slip from my mouth without consent.

"Chores? How sophisticated." Jace teased and I narrow my eyes defensively.

"Not all of us can get by on our looks alone." I retorted, eager to leave his presence.

"I knew it! You think I'm hot. Nobody can resist my charm for long." He accused, circling me slightly with a victorious grin.

"A hot bod only goes so far when you have the personality of a peanut." I snapped, gathering my stuff and heading for the door.

"_Nothing_ about me resembles a peanut, if you know what I mean." Jace winked mischievously, matching my pace and letting his sentenced drawl out, giving it a dramatic effect.

"On that note." I quickened by steps, easily beating him down the hallway and thanking God for patience as I slipped out of the door and into the parking lot.

"Bye, little Red!" He hollered from somewhere behind me and I rolled my eyes.

I shuffled my ipod, landing on Don't Stop Believin' by Journey and belted the lyrics all the way home. I found the front door unlocked and shut it behind me as I let my bookbag fall to the floor with a satisfying smack.

"Hey, mom." I called out as I walked to the kitchen to immediately unload and reload the dishes, run a load of laundry, and tidy up the downstairs.

"Oh, Clary, there you are. I was getting worried." My mom rounded the corner in an onver sized ratty tshirt of Luke's and black cut off sweats, both of which were covered in paint splatters. Her hair was screwed up on the crown of her hair with chopsticks and one light green smear stretched across her cheek. Even in trashy apparel, my mother was strikingly beautiful.

People told me we looked a lot alike, but I never saw the resemblance that much. We both had bright red hair, but mine was frizzy and wild whereas hers was sleek and smooth. Her freckles were barely noticeable, contrasting with my visible patches and she stood a few inches taller. She was elegant and graceful, while I was awkward and clumsy unless I was performing.

"Sorry, mom. I took up tutoring after school three days a week." I informed her, putting away dishes with lightning speed.

"That'll look nice on your college applications." She approved while washing her hands in the other sink.

"Yeah, plus it's in exchange for extra class credits." I added, wanting to brag to someone, but not wanting to sound conceited.

"That's great, honey." She congratulated me as she washed them off and grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter.

I finished reloading it and threw in the soap tablets, turning with a triumphant smile and placing my hands on my hips. "Is it okay if I go next door for awhile? They finally got the house finished."

"As long as you're back at a reasonable hour I don't see why not. Have any homework?" She shrugged her shoulder. Most people thought it was odd I still asked her permission for such small things, but I had been raised with stricter manners than most kids, so I never really broke the habit.

"What do you think?" I asked her sarcastically as I followed her back into our shared art studio. It took up a large portion of our downstairs, but it was the most used room. Both my mother and I were artistically gifted, though hers was more diverse, so we were constantly occupying the space and vibing off each other for new creative ideas. Our relationship was closer than most teenage girls and their mother's, but it had distanced a bit more lately.

"Will you get me a new tub of dark green paint from the back before you go?" She asked, already back to work with the apple in her left hand and a detailing brush in the other.

I took a quick glance at the canvas before crossing the room and saw a beautiful nature seen somewhere in a rainforest with flowers and other lively plants crawling up from the dirt floor and animals performing their daily routines in certain parts. "Sure."

"Thanks." She mumbled, already lost in her work once again and I just shook my head, amazed by her ability to escape so quickly.

I took the stairs two at a time, jumping dramatically when I reached the top and practically ran to my room. I checked my hair in the mirror, using my hand to smooth out random strayaways and reapplied my axe cologne, before applying chapstick and grabbing some spending money from my wallet and stuffing it in my shirt for safe keeping.

I was out the door and skipping down the walkway to our neighbor's front door in a matter of minutes. I knocked on the door three times quickly and tried to peek through the window. "Izzie!"

I waited patiently for her to open the door and looked up when it finally swung open. I was met with a much taller figure with tanned skin and a damned crooked smile and I did a double take.

"What are you doing here?" Jace asked in equal confusion, only cracking the door as if he wasn't sure if he should let me in.

"I believe the question is, what are _you_ doing here?" I retorted glowering at him and trying to push by.

"I live here." He replied and blocked the doorway with his broad frame.

I heard bare feet smacking against the floor and peeked over his shoulder. Izzy came bounding through the door, knocking Jace out of the way and hugging me tightly. "Clary, you're here! Yay. This is my brother-"

"Jace." I finished for her, still shooting him a death glare, to which he simply raised one eyebrow. I was further angered by his easy ability to do so when I had spent countless hours trying to do it.

"You guys know each other?" Izzy asked with a perplexed expression, looking between us curiously.

"Oh, me and Red go way back, don't we?" Jace nodded his head as he crossed his arms over his muscular chest and leaned against the doorframe.

"Jace is the asshole from study hall that I have to tutor." I told her simply, giving her a meaningful look.

"That makes a_ lot_ more sense now." She agreed, bobbing her head.

"Why didn't you tell me he was your brother?" I asked, wondering why she hadn't introduced us before.

"_Adopted_ brother and can you blame me?" She asked giving me a knowing look and pointing with her head to the teenage boy stationed beside her.

"Hey! I'm standing right here." Jace complained, throwing his hand s up in the air dramatically.

"I wouldn't want to admit I know you either." I agreed with Izzie as we all slowly trickled inside until we stopped ina fairly well furnited kitchen.

"We could always get to know each other more." Jace added as he moved to the kitchen and searched the cabinets for food.

"Or not." I declined his offer and scrunched up my nose in disgust and taking a seat next to Izzie at the island.

"Jace, stop hitting on poor Clary. She's never going to come over again." Isabelle warned him as she swatted the back of his head lightly.

"As if. I'm simply showing her some southern hospitality." He acted shocked by her accusation of flirting with me.

"Jace, this is Illinois." Isabelle told him simply.

"Are we still gonna go shopping?" I decided to change the topic, hoping to end their sibling bickery.

"Of course! Let me go freshen up first." Izzie exclaimed, dashing out of the room before I could reply. I turned to glare as Jace some more, deciding I could never get tired of showing my hatred for him, but he stared back with a grin.

After a few minutes he placed is hands alogn the edge of the counter opposite me and leaned forward slightly. "I know my face is perfection, but the constant staring is a little much."

"I figure if I stare hard enough, I'll know why girls fall so quickly for you. It can't be the personality or charming qualities." I replied in annoyance.

"I'll have you know that I can be _very_ charming when I want to." He insisted raising his eyebrow again suggestively and I leaned back in my seat as if to say I wasn't impressed.

"I think you're confusing charming with seducing." I contorted my face in mock confusion.

He leaned even closer, tilting his head to the side questionably. "So, you think I'm seductive?"

"I never said that." I denied, though I knew my real answer argued otherwise, despite him being a jerk.

"But you thought it." He argued, tapping one finger to the side of his head and wagging the other at me knowingly.

"Whatever floats your boat, _Jacey_." I told him with a smirk of my own and sat back further, trying to create more space.

"Don't call me that." He leaned back, his beautiful eyes slanting and his mouth forming a hard line.

"Oh, but Kaelie can? That's not fair." I pouted, mimicking Kaelie from earlier and letting my lower lip protrude with a matching set of puppy dog eyes.

"Live isn't fair. And Kaelie is... Kaelie." He finished, as if that explained everything.

"And what's that suppose to mean?" I asked, letting curiosity overloud my better judgment.

"It means she's tolerated. Simply a pretty toy to pass the time." He explained with a smug look.

I shook my head, shocked by his blunt and brutal honesty, but my inner feminist urged me to slug him. "You're such an asshole."

"I try." He winked, taking a bite out of an energy bar.

"Alright I'm done." Izzie came skipping into the room, halting in front of me, apparently unaware of the tension in the room. "You ready to go?"

I chose to brush off my argument with Jace, hoping not reacting would bother him more. "Yeah, your car or mine?"

"Hmm. Let's take mine. It's faster." She said cheerfully.

"Alright." I smiled at her, wanting to point out mine had more storage, but just wanting to leave.

"Let's go!" She cried out in excitement and bolted out the door towards the garage, plucking a pair of keys from a labeled hook along the wall. I stepped out the door, following closely behind.

"Goodbye, little Red." Jace called out in an overly sweet voice, trying to get underneath my skin again.

I simply spun around, throwing my hair ove my shoulder and waving my fingers at him. "Bye, Jacey."

Once we were inside the car, Izzie turned to me with a serious expression. "Do you like my brother?"

"As if. Did you not catch the whole mutual hatred and deeply rooted loathing for each other?" I asked her, mystified by how she could possibly come to that conclusion.

"I did. I just didn't know if it was your style or something." She told me, refusing to look me in the eye as we put on our seatbelts and she backed out of the drive.

"What do you mean 'my style'?"

"We've moved around a lot and I've always had a lot of friends, but only a couple best friends. Every time I'd find someone who fits the bill and let them in, it would turn out they were just using me to get to Jace. I figured you might do the same thing, just a little sneakier." She confessed, speeding through her sentences as if terrified to hear my answer, but wanting to know the truth.

"First off, I really can't stand your brother. Second, I was your friend long before I knew Jace was your brother. Third, even if I did like him, which we've established I don't, I would never stop being your friend or use you to get to him." I told her, trying to sound as sincere as possible and slightly pissed at her terrible choice of past friends.

"Really?" She asked me, turning to look at me as we stopped at a red light.

"Of course. Now let's go shopping." I added the last part with as much enthusiasm as I could muster, knowing shopping would put Iz in a better mood, even if it was my personal seventh floor of Hell.

**Tada! I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! If I get at least ten reviews by tomorrow night (when I'm updating), then I will make the next chapter extra Clacey. And it already has a LOT. If the ones I get are extra heartfelt, then I might make an exception. Love you all and thanks for reading! :D**

**-ThatHippieChick**


	4. Stay Awake

**Hello, my lovely readers. Sorry it's a bit late. Beware this chapter gets a bit steamier. ;) You're welcome. BEWARE: This chapter is extra long. **

"Hey, ClareBear." Alec answered the door in a rather cheerful mood, completely opposite of his usually quiet demeanor.

"Hi, Alec. Wanna help?" I strained, trying to pass him several of the ten shopping bags threatening to break against my arms.

"How many outfits did you buy, Iz?" He exclaimed as Isabel followed close behind me eight more.

"Enough to get me through the school year without too much repetition." She told him with a shrug, as if this was a normal shopping experience for her. Then again, it probably was. "Plus I bought Clary some smexy things to show off her figure."

"What figure?" Jace joked from where he sat sprawled out on the living room couch as we all headed towards Izzie's room.

"Uncalled for dude." Alec stopped to scold him with a look of disapproving disappointment.

"No, it's okay Alec. I'm glad I'm not his type. That would mean I'm a fake baked bimbo with daddy issues and a liking for skimpy outfits and cheap red lipstick." I spoke the words with venom as I stared Jace down. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but his words hurt more than I expected.

"You know me so well." Jace grinned, turning his head back to Guy Code. If I hadn't wanted to avoid him so much, I probably would have watched it with him.

"If you can't play nice, then go away." Isabel warned him menacingly as she jerked her head at me. "Come on, Clary. Let's go introduce you to everyone else."

"Mom?" She practically screamed in my ear and I cringed away.

"I'm in my office." A voice hollered back. We followed it to the end of the hallway.

A middle aged woman sat behind the desk. She had beautiful dark hair like her daughter, but with faint grey streaks highlighted throughout. She didn't have laugh lines like my mother, only a line in her forehead and slight crow's feet. She looked a lot like Isabel, but more reserved and modest in appearance. Her eyes were the exact shade of Alec's and currently lit up as she looked up from her laptop.

"Hello, darling. And you must be Clary?" She greeted us, extending a hand to shake mine.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you Mrs. Lightwood." I stick out my hand quickly and tried to hold a firm grip as I nodded respectfully.

"Please, call me Maryse." She insisted with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"When is Dad supposed to be home?" Izzie asked curiously, checking her phone for the time.

"Not until late tonight." Maryse informed her as she went back to typing away on the black keys.

"Well, you can meet him then I guess." Isabel shrugged and gave me a small smile.

"Isabel nearly talked my ear off telling me all about you." Maryse informed me, eyeing Izzie who just raised her shoulders as if to say what else did we expect.

"Sounds like Izzie." I laughed, nudging my best friend.

"Okay, let's go find Max." She dragged me out of the room by my wrist and I waved a haste goodbye.

We walked two doors down and Izzie swung open the door without knocking. "MaxiPad! I have someone who wants to meet you."

"I told you to stop calling me that Isabel. It's gross!" A young boy complained, pushing his oversized glasses up the crook of his nose. He has dark brown hair, almost black with a thin frame and dark eyes similar to his sister's.

"Sorry, buttmuncher. This is my friend Clary." She apologized and waved her hands dramatically in front of me.

"Hi, Clary. I'm Max." He gave me a toothy grin and small wave, his adorableness making my heart melt.

"How old are you Max?" I asked him, trying not to scare him by running up and hugging him.

"I'm eight." He said proudly, puffing out his chest, causing a magazine to slip off of his lap and into his nest of pillows. I glanced at the cover of it and happy recognition crossed my mind.

"Cool. I'm seventeen. Are those comics?" I walked up to the edge of his bed and nodded down at the small stack.

"Yeah! The first three issues of X-Men." He passed me one and I couldn't help but grin.

"No, way! I used to love reading X-Men. I have the entire first 4 volumes if you want to borrow them sometimes." I offered, hoping to win him over.

"Really? My mom thinks comics are a waste of money and she refuses to but me anymore. I have them memorized like crazy." His eyes were bulging out and his hands moved around dramatically with each word, reminding me a little too much of Iz.

"Maybe one day I can bring you to my favorite store and buy you some other comics." I handed the magazine back gingerly.

"Oh my gosh! I love you! Izzie she's a keeper." He declared in excitement.

"Well, I'm glad I picked her." Izzie hugged me quickly. "We're gonna watch movies in like an hour if you want to come."

He tried and failed to hide another smile as he tilted his head up and stroked his chin. "I'll think about it."

We both laughed as we left the room, heading back downstairs to Izzie's glamorous room.

"Thanks." Izzie told me once we were out of earshot.

"For what?" My eyebrows drew together in confusion as we entered her room.

"Being nice to him." She shut the door behind us and flopped down on the bed.

"Izzie, I actually like him. He reminds me of Simon when he was younger." I sat beside her, placing a purple throw pillow on my lap and leaning forward.

"Ew." Her nose scrunched up as if I she had caught a whiff of something gross.

"What?"

"Nothing." She seemed to realize her mistake and wouldn't look me in the eye.

"Did you just ew my best friend?" I asked, completely insulted and ready to unleash a world of hurt on her for insulting him.

"No, believe me, that's not what it was about." She shook her head, rolling onto her back.

"Then why did you say it?"

"Because I like Simon and saying Max is like him makes it sound all incesty." She explained to me slowly as if I was five and we were discussing long division.

"You like Simon!" I shouted, completely overtaken by surprise.

"Scream it louder would you? I don't think all of Russia heard you." Izzie spat sarcastically, her face turning the shade of a tomato.

"Sorry, but I wasn't expecting that." I admitted, feeling remotely bad for coming to the assumption, but realizing it's rational.

"Why not?" Izzie asked defensively. Her eyebrows drew together and the edges of her mouth sloped downward.

"You and Simon are like polar opposites. The only thing you have in common is me."

"Well I happen to like that." She flipped her hair over her shoulder dramatically and I had to hold in my laughter. "Differences keep things interesting."

"I suppose you're correct." I agreed, playing with a loose string on my shirt.

"Now that we got that outta the way, let's give you a makeover." Izzie's ever changing mood brightened, causing her face to light up. She strolled over to an old fashioned vanity mirror with tinted lights adorning the sides and a plush chair. The glass top was cluttered with combs, blushes, and lip glosses.

"Ugh. A makeover? Are you trying to say I have terrible style?" I asked with mock offense as I plopped down into the seat.

"Yes, yes I am." She rolled her eyes and spun me around to face her. An evil smirk spread on her cherry red lips and an evil look was cast my way.

"Should I be scared?" I asked, partly joking, partly serious.

With an ominous cackle, she spent the next half an hour redefining my face and hair. I tried to turn around and peak in the mirror one time, but she swatted my head and covered it with an oversized shirt.

"Next, your outfit. I'm thinking something tight enough to show off your body and full of attitude to show your height doesn't determine your capabilities." Izzie listed off on her long fingers with a triumphant smile.

"Izzie, what's wrong with my clothes?" I defended myself, well aware my style was less than high fashion.

"Do I even need to say it?" She asked as she began opening the bags she had purchased for me, despite my insistence that I had money on me.

"Okay, fine, but no dresses." I caved, flopping onto the bed, but making sure not to ruin my hairdo.

"Awe, why not?" Izzie whined as she pushed a red bag aside and began searching through the next.

"Because I'm going to be lying on a couch watching movies all night and the last thing I want to do is sit all prim and proper." I reasoned, hoping she would see my side of things. Plus, I hated wearing skirts and dresses. I was way too active for that bit of nonsense.

"Good point." She agreed and finally settled on an outfit, only to tuck it under her arm. "Luckily we're the same shoe. I'll be right back."

"Nothing too revealing, okay?" I wagered, trying to meet her usual fashion demands halfway.

"I can't promise anything." Izzie shouted in a sing songy voice from inside of her walk in closet.

She came back out shortly after and ushered me towards the bathroom. "There you go."

"Oh boy, I can already feel the flirting, long nights, discrete phone numbers, and exchange of money settling in the air." I joked as I shut the door behind me.

"You're _so_ funny."

I quickly slipped into the small outfit, worried Izzie would bust down the door if I didn't hurry up. It consisted of a pair of tight black leggings with lace along the bottom, a matching cropped tank top, a dark grey fitted vest, and gladiator shoes.

"How do I look?" I asked curiously as I opened the door and moved to her full length mirror in the middle of the room. After a moment I realized it was also covered and turned with a scowl "Izzie!"

"I don't want you to see until everything is done!" She defended herself in a rush and gave me a handful of accessories, all of which were a metallic black. "Here, put these on."

"Fine." I slid several bangle bracelets over my wrists, carefully placed a long chain necklace over my head, and placed studs in my ears.

"Vola! My masterpiece is finished." Izzie boasted and with a flourish of her hand, the mirror was revealed.

Before me stood a girl nearly unrecognizable. Her red hair was tamed neatly in loose curls and spilling over her shoulder. Leggings clung to her slim figure, hinting at her dancer physique. The skin tight top framed her small waist and sparkling belly ring. The fitted vest was full of attitude, daring someone to question her command.

"Damn, Izzie." I was struck speechless, unsure what to say or how to react.

"You look _sexy_." Izzie winked and playfully bumped me with her hip.

"My mother is going to kill me if I wear this home." I realized, slowly coming out of my trance.

"You'll have to remember to switch clothes before you go." Izzie shrugged it off and grabbed my hand to walk towards the door. "Okay, let's go show everyone."

"But I'm the only one dressed up! I'll look stupid." I whined, rooting myself to the ground.

"That's because I'm always dressed up, but I guess I can change." She dropped my hand and disappeared into the closet again.

"Thank you." I smiled and waited patiently for her to change.

"Okay, are you ready?" She asked, coming out in similar black leggings with sequence on the sides, 6 inch heels, and a red silk top with thin straps.

"Stunning as always." I winked and she gave a suggestive waggle of her perfectly arched eyebrows. "And as ready as I'll ever be."

We strode across the hall and carefully down the flight of stairs. When we were positioned at the front of the living room, Izzie cleared her throat and placed her hands on her hips. "So, whatdya think boys?"

"No, go change. Both of you." Alec ordered before the words had left her lips.

"What? Why?" I asked, pouting slightly at being parted from my new style so soon.

"You look like something I'd purchase off the corner of the street." He stated, his face as emotionless and blank as Jace's normally was.

"Alec! We do not look like prostitutes!" Izzie chided him and practically growled like a wild cat.

"Well, I like it." Jace finally spoke up from the couch, startling me slightly.

"Of course you do Jace, you're always thinking with the wrong head." Alec insisted and glared harshly at his adoptive brother.

"What does that mean?" Max scrunched up his nose in confusion, looking cuter than ever.

"Nothing, Maxi. Alec is just trying to be funny for once." Jace reassured him as his eyes met mine with a knowing smirk. I couldn't decipher what the emotions behind the golden orbs were trying to tell me, but my stomach still clenched nervously.

"I'm funny." Alec defended himself with a deep frown that dimpled his chin and creased his forehead.

"No you're not." Jace insisted, his eyes slowly tearing away from mine as he gave Alec a particularly bemused expression.

"I think Isabel and Clary look beautiful." Max declared, giving me a sweet smile.

"See? Max likes it, so they stay." I agreed, taking a step closer and wrapping my arm around him. The blush heating his round cheeks did not escape my attention either.

"Whatever, but you're not leaving the house." Alec finally settled for a compromise and we grinned back at him with satisfaction.

"Wasn't planning on it." Iz shot back and turned towards me. "Clary can you go make some popcorn? I'm gonna find some movie options."

"Oh, no you don't. I'm helping." Alec insisted, causing his sister to pout profusely.

"Why can't I pick them?" She whined and crossed her arms defiantly.

"With my luck, we'd end up watching a full season of America's Next Top Model or Gilmore Girls." Alec turned, already leaving the room.

"Hey, those are both excellent options!" Izzie pointed out defensively with an exasperated sigh.

"And that's exactly why you need my help." Alec smiled sweetly over his shoulder and she swatted at his back. I simply rolled my eyes at their antics and made my way towards the kitchen.

I immediately spotted four bads of popcorn lying on the table and unwrapped one to pop it in the microwave. While it cooked, I searched for large bowls. After opening nearly every cabinet, I found four oddly colored ones, but decided they would have to do. I was well into the third round when I felt someone's eyes on my back. I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. Instead I grabbed the handle and emptied the contents of the third bbag into a lime green bowl before replacing it with the final bag and pressing start.

I slowly turned around and leaned against the counter, my arms crossing over my chest and both of my eyebrows arching. "I know my body is perfection, but the constant staring is a little much."

"You think you're so clever don't you?" Jace asked, a smirk quirking the corners of his full lips, as he slowly strolled over to me and leaned against the island opposite me.

"Why yes, as a matter of fact, I do." I raised my chin with a condescending air, doing my best to imitate him.

"You know, I think my cockiness is starting to rub off on you." He warned, taking a few steps closer.

"What can I say? It's addictive." I shrugged nonchalantly and jumped on top of the marble to distance ourselves.

"That's not the only thing I can get you addicted to." He murmured, his warm breath blowing against my ear.

"Oh, really? What did you have in mind?" I played along and wove my hand into his soft hair; a part of me refusing to admit there was something turning under the surface.

His hands gently slid up my thighs, stopping at my waist, and his nose slowly ghosted across my cheek and down my jaw line. Before his lips could cover mine, I quietly ran my hand along the smooth surface until I felt it curl around a bowl of popcorn and dumped it over his head without a second thought.

His eyes shot open, a surprised look morphing his face. "What the fuck!"

"Nice try, Blondie, but a makeover changes my appearance not my judgment. Besides, I wouldn't touch you in a million years." I wagered, a triumphant smile flashing my teeth.

"We'll see about that." He warned darkly, his eyes slitting and his devilish smirk returned. I hopped off of the counter before he could try to take revenge.

"Come back here!" He practically yelled, reaching out desperately and wrapping his arms around me, yanking me to floor in the process.

"Ow! Jace!" I cried out angrily, having hit my elbow painfully when I landed. I twisted around so that I faced him and growled menacingly.

"I'll let you go if you say 'Jace is one sexy motherfucker'." He offered as he pinned my hands above my head with his own and locked his ankles around mine.

"Never!" I continued to thrash against him, but my attempts to set myself free had little effect on my much larger captor.

"Then suffer my wrath!" He declared war and began to assault my sides without remorse as I giggled helplessly into his chest. My cries of help become muffled as our bodies were pressed closer together. I pushed against him, refusing to give up and let Jace have what he wanted yet again.

"What are you two doing?" Alec stood in the doorway, his eyes ablaze with anger and his face deeply contorted. I had never seen this side of Alec and I was suddenly grateful to have Jace above me to create a barrier between us.

"Clary started it." He shouted at the same time as I blamed him. "Jace started it."

"I don't care who started it, pick it up now! Magnus is going to be over any second now and I don't want him thinking we live like pigs." Alec ordered, using one hand to collectively point to the floor, door and where we sat sprawled out on top of each other. He stormed out of the room before we had time to properly react.

"Someone has a stick up their ass." I muttered, only briefly feeling guilty for my comment as I remembered Alec had sort of deserved it. Surprisingly, Jace lifted himself off of me without any sexual comments and even offered me a hand, which I gladly took.

Considering Jace had been quiet for more than five seconds, I knew something was up, but I ignored the fact and turned to face him. "What's up with him?"

Jace seemed to stare at the empty doorway for a minute, as if Alec would pop up again. A moment of debate warped his angelic features until he finally met my eyes. "Can you keep a secret?"

"More than you can." I remarked without considering the fact that being a smartass was not going to make him trust me more.

He couldn't help but give a small smile at my remark and leaned in closer. "I think he has the hots for Magnus."

"Wait, Alec is gay?" I practically yelled, surprise overriding my common sense. That would explain a few things.

"Shh! He hasn't told anyone yet, but I'm 98% positive." Jace's hand moved to cover my mouth before I could draw more attention to the conversation. I glared daggers at him and licked his palm, biting down when he still hadn't reacted. He simply withdrew his hand and gave a playful wink. "Kinky."

I chose to ignore his attempt to rile me and instead focus on the task at hand. "Shouldn't we talk to him about it?"

"No, he'll tell us when he's ready." He assured me, as if he had dissected the idea many times before.

The room suddenly grew quiet and I fumbled for something to fill the space. "I think Izzie is gonna start the movie soon. Can you grab a bowl?"

"Sure." Jace grabbed the largest one as I emptied out the contents of the newly popped bag and shut the microwave. I grabbed another bowl and turned to lead the way.

A popcorn kernel crunched under my foot and I looked down. "Shouldn't we pick up the popcorn?"

"I'll clean it up in a minute." Jace decided, his voice still distant and reserved with none of his usual sarcasm and wit audible.

I kept walking until I reached the den and looked up. The couches were all empty and the TV blank. "Um, where is everyone?"

"Oh, we have a theatre room." Jace looked up, taking the lead and I followed close behind. I tried not to stare at his muscular back or fit butt as I did, feeling that it contradicted our mutual hate agreement.

"I forgot you guys were filthy rich." My own family wasn't doing poorly either between our unique shops in three locations. Each building was huge and split directly down the middle. The right side was dedicated to The Book of Luke, my stepdad's bookstore, and the left to _New Perspective_, Mom's art gallery.

"Woah." The large room was excessive at the least with dark brown walls, two mini fridges in the corner, a mahogany cabinet, and a wine stand that hung from the ceiling. The furnishing consisted of several beanbag chairs, two love seats, a sleek black recliner, and a large specially ordered futon. All of which was shoved off to the side, except for the futon, which was covered in a patchwork designed quilt that appeared to be sewn to the top.

"I claim the middle!" Izzie called out in an obnoxious voice and jumped up and down childishly on the piece of furniture before plopping down and grabbing a blanket from the foot of the bed.

I snatched up one of the remaining two comforters and chose her right side as Alec and a magically appearing Magnus stretched out on the other. I hadn't noticed when he had arrived and assumed it must have been when I was out of the room. I didn't know Magnus that well, but from what I had heard he was nice, if not a bit hard to take in. Arguably, anything as glittery and flamboyant as him should be handled with caution.

"Ouch!" Somebody cried out and I turned my head to find out who when I felt someone's leg brush my own. I swung my head around the opposite way and found Jace perched next to me on a throw pillow with his hands tucked behind his head. Before I could demand he find a new spot, heavy footfalls sounded from down the hall.

"Don't forget about me!" Max's voice echoed throughout the room and I felt him leap onto the furniture, a blur of elbows and limbs, until he finally rested comfortably between his sister and me. In the commotion I had scooted over to avoid unnecessary injuries and realized I was now practically laying on Jace. He seemed to notice this at the same time, his hand lightly caressing my arm teasingly.

"Well, isn't this convenient?" He muttered, his mouth blowing warm air against the shell of my ear.

"Just shut up and eyes to the front. Don't touch me anymore than you have to. And don't even think about stealing all the covers." I commanded him, giving the thick blanket a nice tug and turning to flip onto my back.

"Sir, yes sir." Jace saluted me with a shit eating grin and I scowled over at him, hitting his chest roughly with my hand.

"What're we watching?" Magnus asked from clear across the room.

"Get Him to the Greek." Izzie and Alec spoke in unison.

"This is Jace's favorite movie." I spoke out loud before I could think about how suspicious and creepy it would sound and Isabel gave me an odd look.

"What?" I asked with a shrug, trying to act like it wasn't a big deal, which it wasn't. We were interrupted before she could interrogate me further.

"Is this movie _appropriate_ for all viewers?" Magnus questions, his head nodding to the space next to me. The boy in question snuggled against me and forcibly wrapped my arms around him.

"You mean Max? He's good. He's already seen Ted and The Hangover." Alec informed him, a noticeably happier expression lighting up his face more than usual. I noticed their close proximity and had to hide a smile of my own.

"Oh, okay then." Magnus returned a knowing grin.

"Now everyone shush." Izzie ordered and dimmed the lights from the remote in her hand.

A few minutes into the movie, I rolled onto my side, facing a completely zoned out Max and animated Izzie as she laughed in preparation for what was coming.

Almost like a chain reaction, I felt Jace mold against me, his body heat rolling off of him in waves and warming my bare skin.

"Jace." I warned him that he was close to crossing the line. Despite our recently sprouted sexual tension, I didn't want to come off as easy or gullible to his manipulating ways.

"What? I'm on the edge and I feel like I'm gonna fall off!" He whined, his voice low and right on the back of my neck.

"Fine, but keep your hands to yourself." I finally caved; convincing myself I wasn't actually happy with our predicament, despite my body's unwanted attraction.

"No guarantees." His voice rang out happily and I wanted to elbow him in the gut.

We remained carefully intertwined until the film finally came to a stop. Max was asleep beside acted as a furnace and was growing clammy beside me, his damp sweat coating my arm.

"Is he sick?" I asked, worried by his sudden symptoms.

"No, Max is always like that. Just roll him over if he's getting too hot." Alec told me helpfully and I did as so, letting the young boy slide off of my arm and onto the cushion beside me.

"What now?" I asked, hoping not to draw attention to my corner of the bed, where Jace still framed my small body perfectly.

"21 Jumpstreet!" Izzie cheered as she crawled out of her comforter and went to pop in the next movie.

"I've never seen it." Magnus told us bluntly and everyone turned to give him a shocked expression.

"How? It's hysterical!" Isabel said in disbelieve as she burrowed into her nest again and began crunching on the popcorn.

"I like old movies usually." He defended himself, raising both arms from under the covers, where I suspected they were clasping Alec's, and shrugging his shoulders.

"Me, too." Alec piped up.

"Okay, shut up again." Izzie groaned, clearly over the conversation. I couldn't tell if she knew Alec's dirty little secret as well, or if her shortness was simply Izzie being Izzie.

She passed forward through the previews and I glanced at the clock. 10:01. I would have to skip out halfway through the movie unless I could convince my mom to let me stay until midnight, which was definitely pushing it. I made a note to text her for permission in a few minutes, but I was too comfortable right now to jeopardize the perfect position.

I squeezed Max closer to me like a teddy bear and cozied into Jace's chest with my back. I didn't allow myself to look into our actions further as Jace's hand slowly wound itself around my waist, cautiously hovering for a moment as if afraid I would snap on him. If I weren't in such a warm and fuzzy mood, I probably would have, but instead I used one hand to pull his other arm down and use it as a makeshift pillow. His muscles flexed once before noticeably relaxing.

I tried to pay attention to the rest of the movie, but soon a cool haze took over my vision and the last thing I remembered was someone calling my name and seeing golden eyes staring down at me.

I awoke to the sound of someone's phone going off, signaling they had a message. After a moment, I recognized it as Izzie's and a groan escaped me. Sleep left my system as my eyes darted open and I realized I wasn't in my bedroom. My face then blushed when I distinguished the tight hold around me as Jace's strong arms. I then realized that I was also hugging Max, who's legs were intertwined with ours. My face flushed again as his arm noticeably tightened around my waist, causing the skin to heat up, and Jace nuzzled his head into my neck.

I wasn't really sure what state of mind I must have been in at the time, but this was all one big mistake. I should have just left after the first movie or simply told Jace to go sit by Alec.

Jace and I weren't even considered acquaintances; nonetheless friends or people even remotely emotionally close enough to wake up in each other's arms. I didn't know who I was more mad at; Jace, Izzie, or myself.

I could only imagine how long he was going to taunt me for this incident, so I tried to slip out the door with no problem. Unfortunately I had miscalculated my chances of even getting past the bed, because Jace was not unwrapping his body anytime soon. I tried to no avail to escape from my captor, but I simply didn't have the muscle to do so. Finally I just sat there defeated and looked around the room.

"Shit." I smacked myself on the forehead and craned my neck to see his sleeping face.

The room was fairly dark, but I could still distinguish his striking features. His usually clenched jaw was slack for once, causing him to have an air of innocent vulnerability. I wondered what caused him to act the way he did, but I didn't have the time to ponder his reasoning now.

"Jace, wake up." I tugged roughly on the arm my head had been resting against, causing him to stretch slowly like a cat before relaxing once again and looking at me with a dumbfounded expression.

"We all fell asleep! What time is it?" I asked, agitated by his slow realization.

He pulled his phone out of his front pocket, his hand brushing the side of my butt, causing me to jump slightly. "3:38"

"Shit, I have to go. My mother is going to kill me." I exclaimed quietly, trying not to wake the others, as I threw back the comforter and climbed over Jace. My bare feet hit the floor and I immediately searched for my shoes. Jace rolled off after me and did the same, but at a much more relaxed pace.

"I'm sure she'll understand." He tried to calm me down from my hysterics, which only made it worst.

"Then you don't know my mom." I chided him as I worked my way downstairs.

He trailed behind me. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, you've helped enough." I remarked, maybe a bit too harshly.

"Look, this isn't my fault. I'm just trying to be nice." Jace defended himself with an exasperated sigh while throwing his hands up dramatically.

"I'm sorry. I'm just freaking out." We reached the kitchen and I flicked on the switch, light bathing my surroundings and giving Jace an angelic glow.

We stared out the glass window for awhile as I tried to discover how to get inside without risking the possibility of my mother's sleep deprived wrath. Jace finally spoke up, causing me to jump as I remembered I wasn't alone. "Can you go through your window? Maybe she's asleep."

I considered the possibility and gave him a small approving smile. "That's not a bad idea, actually."

"Come on." I unlocked the sliding glass door quietly and ushered him through the exit. Jace squeezed gently between it and I followed him habitually. The damp grass squished noisily underneath the toes of our shoes and a cool breeze whipped my hair backwards. The aging street lights cast a faint glow across the road, not nearly an efficient amount to properly see where we were going, but I could remotely distinguish the silhouettes of nearby shrubbery and other objects.

"Dude, I can't see anything." He whined like a two year old displaying the warning signs of a temper tantrum.

"It's not like we can just turn on a light and I happen to be a girl." I rolled my eyes and slid in front of him, taking the reins as well as his hand to guide him.

"Believe me, I know." Jace muttered and a grin twitched across my lips shortly as I felt around for the side of my house.

We eventually reached the foot of my room and I silently thanked the Lord above that I always had to sleep in a cool room with cracked windows and a fan on. I fisted my hands on my sides and stared up at my vacant room with curiosity. "Okay, how do you wanna do this?"

"Well, I didn't really get that far." Jace admitted with a sheepish look next to me.

"Of course you didn't." I glared disapprovingly at him, only realizing afterwards the affect was lost in the bad lighting.

I sighed load lot instead, making sure to make the small action as dramatic and drawn out at possible. "Okay, I got this. Hold my hips."

"Not a problem." He spoke next to my ear, causing me to blush as I recalled our compromising positions the night before. The next thing I knew, Jace had both of his slender fingers pressing into my upper thighs, gently cupping my ass.

"Hips Jace, hips." I scolded him with a slight chuckle and relocated them for him. "Okay, I'm gonna bounce twice and jump on three, then I want you to lift me as high as you can, okay?"

"Got it." Jace agreed and I felt my stomach twist nervously as I debated his reliability and the chances of me being dropped.

"Ready? One, two, three!" I prepped quickly before being propelled into the air. His hands shortly left my body and now held me at my lower calves while my feet rested on his shoulders. A squeal of surprise left my lips and I quickly braced my hands along the wall.

"A little bit higher." I requested, trying to stand on my tip toes, so that my fingers to lock around the window pane.

"Okay." Without warning shave lifted me over a foot higher and I was practically tossed halfway through the entrance. I was suddenly thankful I was so tiny as I pushed the wood higher up and squeezed through.

"Got it!" Once I had determined I was safe from falling to my near death, I popped my head out the window. Long red locks threatened to obscure my view, but I tucked them behind my ears. "Thanks for the help."

"Thanks for the view." Jace visibly winked up at me and in return I scowled down.

"You're such a perv." I scolded him with a shake of my head and moved to shit the window slightly.

"I try."

"Bye, Blondie." I called out before turning around to collapse on my bed.

"Bye, Red." I could barely make out Jace's teasing reply as he cautiously walked back to his house.

The overwhelming urge to escape into my dreams washed over me and I didn't even bother to change into more comfortable clothing. Instead I just stretched out like a cat before sliding under the blankets and curling into a ball.

All thoughts relating to the past few hours were pushed from my head and darkness overcame me with a small smile carved into my lips.

**I'm ever so sorry that this chapter took so long, if it's any constellation, I had tons of homework and my mother had a stroke. She's fine now, by the way. :) Can't wait to read your guys' reviews and I'll hopefully update soon, but no promises. I still have to update my other story. Oh, and if there are weird errors, like completely different words and such, most of this was typed up on my iPod, so blame spell check.**


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